Brussels, 24/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier appointed former justice and home affairs commissioner Antonio Vitorino as mediator in the dialogue which will begin early in 2012 on private copying levies, in line with what was announced in May of this year in the communication on a strategy for a single market on intellectual property rights.
Vitorino's task will be to act as moderator in stakeholder discussions, with the industry and artists in particular, “with the objective of exploring possible approaches to harmonisation of both the methodology used to impose levies and the systems of administration of levies”, Barnier says in a press release. The dialogue is expected to come to an end in summer 2012.
Levies are a tool that many member states have chosen to insure that authors and other rights holders are compensated when their copyright protected content (books, music, films) is copied for private purposes. Levies are imposed on goods that are typically used for the production of a private copy (blank media, recording equipment, mobile listening devices, computers, printers, scanners, etc), the Commission says.
Not all member states act in the same way, hence the Commission move to bring some order to the proceedings. “There are important differences between member states as to the equipment that is levied (for instance, some member states levy mobile phones whereas others do not) and the amounts levied”, the Commission explains.
The issue remains a very sensitive one, with the industry and manufacturers, which apply the levy but do not receive it, wanting levies to be lowered or even ended, whereas the representatives of the artists and rights holders are worried that this welcome income might disappear. The Commission has twice before attempted to launch the debate and make progress on overhauling the levy system, but with no success. (SP/transl.rt)